About Armenia
General Information -- Geography -- Climate -- Religion -- Language -- Flag -- Government -- Administrative Division -- More About Armenia
General Information
Armenia is one of the oldest centers of civilization. The discovered ancient observatories and works of art speak about ancient Armenian history. In the small territory professionals counted more then 15,000 historical monuments, the oldest of them being five thousand years old. Armenia is a country of old legends and Biblical stories. On his decent from Ararat, Noah first stepped into this land and, because of his blessings, the Ararat valley is fruitful. Armenia has wonderful nature: small waterfalls, skyscraping mountain and more than a hundred mountain lakes, including the world´s highest fresh-water Lake Sevan which is situated at an altitude of 2,000 meters above the sea level. Armenians are well known for their longevity. Many specialists attribute this phenomena the Armenian food and the healing power of herbs, fruits and vegetables traditional for Armenia.
Geography
Armenia is situated in the northeast of the Armenian Upland, between the Caucasus and Asia Minor. In the North and East it borders on Georgia and Azerbaijan, in the West and South, on Turkey and Iran. Armenia has a territory of 2,977 thousand square kilometers and lies between 1,000 and 2,500 meters above see level.
The highest peak is Mount Aragats (4,900 meters),while the lowest point is River Debed (400 meters).
Climate
Armenia is often referred to as a sunny country. Its climate ranges from dry subtropical to cold. The average temperature is +25 Centigrade in July and —5 Centigrade in January. From December to February there is typically snow and ice, with occasional sun shining through the cloudless sky.
The mountain peaks are covered with perennial snow, while their slopes are lined by alpine meadows.
The best time to visit Armenia is spring or autumn.
Religion
In 301 A.D. Armenia become the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as a nofficial religion. Armenian Church called "Apostolic" because Jesus' apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus preached here in the First century.
The
Echmiadzin
Cathedral is the center of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
The legend has it that Armenian Patriarch Grigor the Illuminator had a vision that the first Christian church was to be founded in Armenia. It was subsequently named Echmiadzin, which means "The Coming of the Only Begotten". The Bible was translated into Armenian in the 5th century. This translation is knows as the "Queen of translations".
Language
The official language is Armenian, a separate branch of the Indo-European family. The modern Armenian literary language has two branches: Eastern-Armenian, used in the Republic of Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh and Iran, as well as Western Armenian, used by the Diaspora Armenians from historical Eastern Armenia.
The Armenian alphabet created by St. Mesrob Mashtots in 405 A.D. is still in use without undergoing alterations throughout many centuries of its existence.
Flag
The flag of the Republic is a tricolor of three horizontal and equal stripes of red, blue and orange. The Armenian flag is not only a representation of the country but each color has its own meaning.
The color red symbolizes the blood shed by the Armenian people in their struggle for independence, the color blue symbolizes the clear sky of Armenia, and the color orange symbolizes the creative drive of the nation.
Government
The official title of the state is the Republic Of Armenia, Armenia for short.
The highest executive authority is the President of the Republic, who heads a cabinet with a Prime Minister and Ministers.
The legislative body is the National Assembly. The Constitution was adopted by referendum in July 1995.
Administrative Division
The administrative unites of Armenia are the marzes (11) and communities.